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Thursday, 28 January 2010

"On the Day when the heaven will shake with a dreadful shaking,And the mountains will move away with a (horrible) movement.Then woe to the deniers.Who are playing in falsehood.The Day when will be pushed down by force to the fire of Hell, with a horrible, forceful pushing.This is the Fire which you used to deny."

"Woe to every sinful liar.Who hears the Verses of Allah (being) recited to him, yet persists with pride as if he heard them not. So announce to him a painful torment!And when he learns something of Our verses (this Qur'an), he makes them a jest. For such there will be a humiliating torment.In front of them there is Hell. And that which they have earned will be of no profit to them, nor (will be of any profit to them) those whom they have taken as Auliya (protectors, helpers) besides Allah. And theirs will be a great torment."

"And what will make you know (exactly) what Hell-fire is?It spares not (any sinner), nor does it leave (anything unburnt)!Burning and blackening the skins!Over it are nineteen (angels as guardians and keepers of Hell).And We have set none but angels as guardians of the Fire. And We have fixed their number (19) only as a trial to the disbelievers, in order that the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) may arrive at a certainty [that this Qur'an is the truth as it agrees with their Books regarding the number (19) which is written in in the Taurat (Torah) and the Injil (Gospel)] and that the believers may increase in Faith (as the Qur'an is the truth), and that no doubt may be left for the people of the Scripture and the believers, and that those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy) and the disbelievers may say "What Allah intends by this (curious) example?" Thus Allah leads astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none can know the hosts of your Lord but He. And this (Hell) is nothing else than a (warning) reminder to mankind."

Monday, 25 January 2010

You might not know it, but the entire world has been worshiping Saturn for thousands of years. The cult has never stopped and its rites are still present to this day. Saturn, dubbed the “Lord of the Rings”, is the reason why we exchange rings at weddings or put halos on the heads of godly people. This article exposes the attributes of the god Saturn and the perpetuation of his cult through in pop culture.

Since ancient times, sages gazed at the stars, admiring their heavenly glow and attributing them godly powers, based on their effect on humans. Before the Great Flood, Saturn was regarded by all mankind as the supreme god and ruler of the kings. Occult researchers affirm that Saturn ruled the kingdom of Atlantis and became the divine ancestor of all earthly patriarchs and kings. The cult has been perpetuated through numerous gods during Antiquity:

“Chronos, or Saturn, Dionysos, Hyperion, Atlas, Hercules, were all connected with ‘a great Saturnian continent;’ they were kings that ruled over countries on the western shores of the Mediterranean, Africa and Spain. ”Baldwin, Prehistoric Nations

In Egyptian mythology Isis is considered Saturn’s eldest daughter:

“I am Isis, Queen of this country. I was instructed by Mercury. No one can destroy the laws which I have established. I am the eldest daughter of Saturn, most ancient of the Gods”

Saturn in Semitic Civilizations

Semitic civilizations referred to the god Saturn as “El”. The supreme deity was represented by a black cube. We can find instances of the cube across the world.

Black Cube in Santa Ana

Will be part of Apple’s 24/7 store in NYC

Manhattan, NYC

Denmark

Australia

This black cube is a remnant of the ancient worship of El.

Ancient Hebrews represented Saturn with the six pointed star, which later became the Star of David (it also had many other esoteric meanings). The symbol is still found on Israel’s flag.

Many esoteric researchers affirm that the name Is-Ra-El is the combination of the names of ancient pagan deities Isis, Ra and El.

Saturn in Western Civilizations

The Greeks and the Romans also worshiped Saturn as a cruel deity. Here’s a brief summary of the mythology of Saturn in the western world:

“With the deposing of his father, Saturn became the ruler of the Universe for untold ages and he reigned with his sister, Ops, who also became his wife.It was prophesied that one day Saturn would lose power when one of his children would depose him. To prevent this from happening, each time Ops delivered a child Saturn would immediately swallow it. When her sixth child, Jupiter(Zeus), was born, Ops had him spirited away to the island of Crete. She then wrapped a stone in his swaddling clothes. Her deception was complete when Saturn swallowed it, thinking it was the child. When Jupiter was grown, he secured the job of cup-bearer to his father. With the help of Gaia, his grandmother, Jupiter fed his father a potion that caused him to vomit up Jupiter’s five siblings, Vesta (Hestia), Ceres (Demeter), Juno (Hera), Pluto (Hades), and Neptune (Poseidon).”-Wikipedia, Saturn (mythology)

Saturn devouring one of his children by Peter Paul Rubens

Saturn always had a negative, if not evil significance. In ancient times, it has been called “The Greater Malefic” which was opposed to Jupiter, “The Greater Benefic”. Saturn is esoterically associated with man’s limitations, restrictions, death and decay. His Greek name was “Kronos”, the ruler of time, time being the main factore inevitably leading to the death of mortals.Traditional representations of the “grim reaper” originate from the attributes of the god Saturn, who held the sickle with which he slain his father.

“To the initiate, the skeleton of death holding in bony fingers the reaper’s scythe denotes Saturn (Kronos), the father of the gods, carrying the sickle with which he mutilated his own sire.”

Saturn and Satan

Saturn has also been associated with Satan and this, for numerous reasons. First, many authors argue that the word Satan is derived from the word Saturn. Second, Saturn is associated with the color black as well as Satan. Third, Ancients considered Saturn to be the farthest planet from the sun , the latter being associated with the principle of Good. (Note that Pluto never was considered a planet). Saturn is consequently the celestial body that is the less exposed to the sun’s divine light and thus associated with the coldness of the principle of Evil. Finally, the “great god Pan”, the horned deity, represented Saturn in ancient paganism. This half-man half-goat creature is considered the ancestor of our modern depictions of Satan.

“Pan was a composite creature, the upper part–with the exception of his horns–being human, and the lower part in the form of a goat. (…)The pipes of Pan signify the natural harmony of the spheres, and the god himself is a symbol of Saturn because this planet is enthroned in Capricorn, whose emblem is a goat” -Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of All Ages

So Pan was depicted with horns due to the fact it represented Saturn, the ruler of the house of Capricorn which symbol is a goat:

Capricorn - symbol of the Goat rising from the body of a fish

Pan was the controlling spirit of the lower worlds. He was portrayed roaming through the forests, penis erect, drunk and lascivious, frolicking with nymphs and piping his way through the wild. We might say he ruled the lower nature of man, its animal side, not unlike Satan.

Despite acknowledging its association with Evil, secret societies find the veneration of Saturn necessary to obtain illumination. It is the necessary counterpart of the principle of Good. Masonic authors clearly associate Saturn with Satan:

“Saturn is the opposite to Jupiter; his symbol is the cross above the sign of Luna ( ). He is the Satan, the Tempter, or rather the Tester. His function is to chastise and tame the unruly passions in the primitive man.”-J.S. Ward, Freemasonry and the Ancient Gods

Probably the most extreme example of a secret society worshiping Saturn’s Evil principle is the “Fraternitas Saturni”. This occult organization is based in Germany and openly embodies the hidden side of Saturn worship.

“The Fraternitas Saturni (FS), the Brotherhood of Saturn, has become known to English readers through fragmentary descriptions which emphasize the sensational, sex-magical aspects of this lodge’s work or else its darker, more Satanic, side.This is understandable in light of the fact that the FS is (or was) the most unabashedly Luciferian organization in the modern Western occult revival, and its practice of sexual occultism perhaps the most elaborately detailed of any such lodge. The FS represents a unique blend of astrological cosmology, neo-Gnostic daemonology, sexual occultism, and Freemasonic organizational principles. This grand synthesis was originally the vision of one man, the long-time Grand Master of the FS, Gregor A. Gregorius.”-Stephen E. Flowers, Fire & Ice: The History, Structure, and Rituals of Germany’s Most Influential Modern Magical Order: The Brotherhood of Saturn

To Conclude

This article presented SOME of the ways humanity represented Saturn through the ages. The great amount of symbols associated with this obscure deity only emphasize its importance in human history. The advent of the monotheistic religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam confined the worship of Saturn to occult circles. As we saw here, the Lord of the Rings is still omnipresent in popular culture but only recognized by those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Released in 1940, Pinocchio is a Disney classic still appreciated by children and adults around the world. However, the story of this wooden marionette conceals a great spiritual allegory based on esoteric teachings, which is rarely discussed. We will look at the origins of this animated adventure and its underlying meaning.

I first watched Pinocchio as a child on a poorly recorded VHS tape with my little brother while eating honey nut loops. I enjoyed the catchy tunes and Jiminy Cricket. I was, however, terrified by the Coachman and I did not quite like the underwater part. That’s pretty much what I remembered of this Disney classic until recently. On a lazy Sunday night, I came across the “digitally remastered” movie on TV and I watched it “for old time’s sake”. What was supposed to be a fun trip down memory lane became a shocking revelation: Pinocchio was one of the deepest movies I’ve ever watched. Could it be a huge allegory about spirituality and modern society? Did I detect hints of initiation into occult Mysteries? I immediately started to research Pinocchio’s origins and all of my theories were abundantly confirmed.

Needless to say, this movie is now a staple in today’s popular culture. How many people have NOT watched this movie? On the other hand, how many people are aware of Pinocchio’s true underlying meaning? Behind the story of the marionette trying to become a good boy is a deep spiritual story that has its roots in Mystery schools of occultism. Through the eyes of an initiate, the children’s story about “being good” filled with lessons about ”not lying” becomes a man’s quest for wisdom and spiritual enlightenment. The brutally honest social commentaries of Pinnochio depicts a grim vision of our modern world and prescribes, perhaps, a way to escape its traps. Through the author’s background and literary references, one can understand the hidden gnostic meaning of Pinocchio.

Pinocchio’s Origins

Carlo Lorenzini aka Carlo Collodi

Pinocchio was originally written by Carlo Lorenzini (known by his pen name, Carlo Collodi) between 1881 and 1883 in Italy. Lorenzini began his writing career in newspapers (Il Lampione and Il Fanfulla ), where he often used satire to express his political views. In 1875, he entered the world of children’s literature and used this outlet to transmit his political convictions. The series Giannettino, for example, often referred to the unification of Italy.

“Lorenzini became fascinated by the idea of using an amiable, rascally character as a means of expressing his own convictions through allegory. In 1880 he began writing Storia di un burattino (“The story of a marionette”), also called Le Avventure di Pinocchio, which was published weekly in Il Giornale dei Bambini (the first Italian newspaper for children).”-Source

Le Avventure di Pinocchio, a fairy tale describing the adventures of a stubborn marionette in his quest to become a real boy, was published in 1883 (you can read the original book here, if you wish).

Lorenzini’s work was not solely political. His writings, especially Le Avventure di Pinocchio contained a great deal of metaphysical aspects that are often overlooked by modern readers. One important fact needed to fully understand the depth of Lorenzini’s work is that he was an active Freemason. In an essay called Pinocchio, mio Fratello (Pinocchio, my Brother) Italian Freemason Giovanni Malevolti describes the Masonic background of Lorenzini:

“Carlo Collodi’s initiation into Freemasonry, even if cannot be found in any official records, is universally recognized and often referred to. Aldo Mola, a non-mason who is generally defined as an official historian of Freemasonry, has expressed with great certitude the writer’s initiation into the Masonic family. Events in Collodi’s life seem to further confirm this thesis: the creation in 1848 of a paper called “Il Lampione” (The Beacon), which, as stated by Lorenzini, “illuminated all who were teetering in darkness”; he also considered himself a “passionate disciple of Mazzini” (a prominent Italian Freemason and revolutionary).”

Collodi can also be found in this document published by The Grand Lodge of All England listing famous Freemasons.

Malevolti continues:

“There are two ways to read “The Adventures of Pinocchio”. The first is what I would call “profane” where the reader, most probably a child, learns about the mishaps of the wooden puppet. The second is a reading from a Masonic point of view, where heavy symbolism will complete, without replacing, the simple and lineary narration of events”.- Giovanni Malevolti, Pinocchio, mio Fratello (free translation)

Lorenzini wrote Pinocchio following the long tradition of mystic texts: a simple narrative story that can be enjoyed by the masses with a hidden meaning reserved to those “in the know.”

Analysis of the Movie

There are many differences between Collodi’s book and the Disney movie. The storyline has been simplified and Pinocchio became an innocent, happy-go-lucky character rather than the stubborn and ungrateful misfit from the original book. All of the fundamental elements are still however present in the movie adaption and the underlying message remains untouched. (I’ve heard you can watch the whole movie here, but I’m not sure).

The Creation

The movie starts off with Geppetto, an Italian woodcarver, turning a piece of wood into a marionette. He gives the puppet human-like features, but it remains a lifeless puppet. Geppetto is, in some ways, the Demiurge of Plato and of the Gnostics. The word “Demiurge” is literally translated from Greek to ”maker, artisan or craftsman.” In philosophical terms, the Demiurge is the “lesser god” of the physical world, the entity which creates imperfect beings who are submitted to the pitfalls of the material life. Geppetto’s house is filled with clocks of his craft, which, as you might know, are used to measure time, one of the great limitations of the physical plane.

“Out of the pleroma was individualized the Demiurgus, the immortal mortal, to whom we are responsible for our physical existence and the suffering we must go through in connection with it”- Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of All Ages

Geppetto has created a great-looking marionette, but he realizes that he needs the help of the “Greater God” to give Pinocchio the divine spark needed in order to become a “real boy” or, in esoteric terms, an illuminated man. So what does he do? He “wishes upon a star”. He asks the Greater God (the Great Architect of the Masons) to infuse Pinocchio with some of its divine essence.

Could this star be Sirius, the Blazing Star of Freemasonry?

The “Blue Fairy”, the representative of the Great God, then descends to earth to give Pinocchio a spark of the Universal Mind, the “Nous” of the Gnostics.

“It was affirmed by the Gnostic Christians that the redemption of humanity was assured through the descent of Nous (Universal Mind), who was a great spiritual being superior to the Demiurgus and who, entering into the constitution of man, conferred conscious immortality upon the Demiurgic fabrications.”- Ibid.

The Fairy confers to Pinocchio the gift of life and free will. Although he is alive, he is not a yet a “real boy”. Mystery schools teach that real life only starts after illumination. Everything prior to this is nothing but slow decay. When Pinocchio asks “Am I a real boy?“, the Fairy replies “No, Pinocchio. To make Geppetto’s wish come true will be entirely up to you. Prove yourself brave, truthful and unselfish and someday you will be a real boy“.

This theme of self-reliance and self-improvement is strongly inspired by Gnostic/Masonic teachings: spiritual salvation is something that has to be deserved through self-discipline, self-knowledge and intense will power. Masons symbolize this process with the allegory of the Rough and Perfect Ashlar.

“‘In speculative Freemasonry, a rough ashlar is an allegory to the uninitiated Freemason prior to his discovering enlightenment. A Perfect Ashlar is an allegory to a Freemason who, through Masonic education, works to achieve an upstanding life and diligently strives to obtain enlightenment. In the Fellowcraft Degree, we see the use of the Rough and Perfect Ashlars. The lesson to be learned is that by means of education and the acquirement of knowledge, a man improves the state of his spiritual and moral being. Like man, each Rough Ashlar begins as an imperfect stone. With education, cultivation and brotherly love, man is shaped into a being which has been tried by the square of virtue and encircled by the compasses of his boundaries, given to us by our Creator.”- Masonic Lodge of Education, Source

The same way Masons represent the process of illumination by the transformation of a rough stone into a smooth one, Pinocchio starts out his journey as a rough piece of wood and will seek to smooth out his edges to finally become a real boy. Nothing is however handed out to him. An inner-alchemical process needs to take place in order for him to be worthy of illumination. He has to go through life, fight its temptations, and, using his conscience (embodied by Jiminy Cricket), he has to find the right path. The first step is to go to school (symbolizing knowledge). After that, life’s temptations rapidly come across Pinocchio’s path.

The Temptation of Fame and Fortune

On his way to school, Pinocchio is stopped by Foulfellow the Fox (not a very trustworthy name) and Gideon the Cat who lure him to the ”easy road to success”: show business. Despite his conscience’s warnings, the marionette follows the shady characters and is sold to Stromboli, the belligerent puppet show promoter.

During his performance, Pinocchio is acquainted with the up sides of the “easy road”: fame, fortune and even hot women puppets.

Pinocchio however quickly learns the great costs of this apparent success: he cannot go back to see his father (the Creator), the money he generates is only used to enrich Stromboli, his “handler”, and he sees what fate awaits him when he grows old.

A rather grim depiction of show business, isn’t it? He is basically nothing more than … a puppet. After seeing the true nature of the “easy road”, Pinocchio realizes the sad state he is in. He is caged up like an animal and at the mercy of a cruel puppeteer. He was duped into selling his soul.

Pinocchio then gains back his conscience (Jiminy Cricket) and tries to escape. All of the good conscientiousness in the world cannot however save him, Cricket cannot open the lock. Nothing less than a divine intervention is needed to save him, but not before he is truthful to the Fairy (the divine messenger) and, most importantly, to himself.

The Temptations of Earthly Pleasures

Back on the right path, Pinocchio is stopped again by Foulfellow the Fox who lures him into going to “Pleasure Island”, a place with no school (knowledge) and laws (morals). Kids can eat, drink, smoke, fight and destroy at will, all under the watchful eye of The Coachman.

Pleasure Island is a metaphor for the “profane life” characterized by ignorance, the search for instant gratification and the satisfaction of the one’s lowest impulses. The coachman encourages this behavior knowing it is a perfect method to create slaves. The boys who indulge enough into this dumbed-down lifestyle turn into donkeys and are then exploited by The Coachman to work in a mine. Another rather grim depiction, this time of the ignorant masses.

Pinocchio himself starts to turn into a donkey. In esoteric terms he is closer to his material self, personified by this stubborn animal, than his spiritual self. This portion of the story is a literary reference to Apuleius’ The Metamorphoses or Golden Ass, a classic work studied in Mystery schools such as Freemasonry.

The Metamorphoses describes the adventures of Lucius who is tempted by the wonders of magic, because of his foolishness, turns himself into an ass. This leads to a long and arduous journey where he is finally saved by Isis and joins her Mystery cult. The story of the Metamorphoses bears many resemblances with Pinocchio by its story line, its spiritual allegory and its theme of occult initiation.

Pinocchio, once he regained his conscience, escaped the prison of profane life and escaped Pleasure Island.

The Initation

Pinocchio returns home to unite with his father but the house is empty. He learns that Geppetto has been swallowed by a giant whale. The puppet then jumps into water himself and gets swallowed by the whale in order to find his Creator. This is his final initiation, where he has to escape the darkness of the ignorant life (symbolized by the womb of the giant whale) and gain spiritual light.

Once again, Carlo Collodi was heavily inspired by a classic story of spiritual Initiation: the Book of Jonah. Found in Christianity, Islam and Judaism, Jonah and the Whale is also read in Mystery schools.

“Jonah is also the central character in the Book of Jonah. Ordered by God to go to the city of Nineveh to prophesy against it “for their great wickedness is come up before me” Jonah seeks instead to flee from “the presence of the Lord” by going to Jaffa and sailing to Tarshish. A huge storm arises and the sailors, realizing this is no ordinary storm, cast lots and learn that Jonah is to blame. Jonah admits this and states that if he is thrown overboard the storm will cease. The sailors try to get the ship to the shore but in failing feel forced to throw him overboard, at which point the sea calms. Jonah is miraculously saved by being swallowed by a large fish specially prepared by God where he spent three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17). In chapter two, while in the great fish, Jonah prays to God in his affliction and commits to thanksgiving and to paying what he has vowed. God commands the fish to vomit Jonah out.”- Source

Jonah after his spiritual initiation

Manly P. Hall explains here the occult meaning of the Jonah and the Whale.

“When used as a symbol of evil, the fish represented the earth (man’s lower nature) and the tomb (the sepulcher of the Mysteries). Thus was Jonah three days in the belly of the “great fish,” as Christ was three days in the tomb. Several early church fathers believed that the “whale” which swallowed Jonah was the symbol of God the Father, who, when the hapless prophet was thrown overboard, accepted Jonah into His own nature until a place of safety was reached. The story of Jonah is really a legend of initiation into the Mysteries, and the “great fish” represents the darkness of ignorance which engulfs man when he is thrown over the side of the ship (is born) into the sea (life).”- Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages

Jonah emerging from the whale with the word of God

Pinocchio went through the hardships of initiation and came out of the darkness of ignorance. He emerges from tomb resurrected, like Jesus Christ. He is now a “real boy”, an illuminated man who broke the shackles of material life to embrace his higher self. Jiminy Cricket receives a solid gold badge from the Fairy, representing the success of the alchemical process of transforming Pinocchio’s conscience from a crude metal to gold. The “Great Work” has been accomplished. What is there left to do? A crazy accordion party, of course!

In Conclusion

Seen through the eyes of an initiate, Pinocchio’s story, instead of being a series of random adventures, becomes a deeply symbolic spiritual allegory. Details in the movie that are seemingly meaningless suddenly reveal an esoteric truth or at least a brutally honest social commentary. Inspired by metaphysical classics such as The Metamorphoses and Jonah and the Whale, the story’s author, Carlo Collodi, wrote a modern day tale of initiation, which is the most important aspect of Masonic life. Although Walt Disney’s allegiance to Freemasonry has always been disputed, the choice of this story as the second animated movie ever created by the studio is very telling. Many symbolic details added into the movie manifest a great understanding of the underlying occult meaning of Collodi’s book. Considering the numerous re-releases of Pinocchio and its world-wide success one can say that the entire world has witnessed his path to illumination, but very few fully understood it.

When put in relation with other other articles on this site, which reveal rather sinister meanings, the story of Pinocchio is an example of the nobler side of occult teachings. Striving to achieve a higher level of spirituality through self-improvement is a universal theme found in most religions. Pinocchio still remains typically Masonic and reveals the philosophical background of those in control of the mass media.

Thursday, 21 January 2010

There's a satirical game going around the interwebs this past week or so involving the Conservative Party's latest visual campaign for the upcoming General Election later this year. Called "Call Me Dave", there are loads of different customisations of the party's main motto of "We can't go on like this. I'll cut the deficit; not the NHS". AYTD thought it'd join in on the fun with a few versions of "Call Me Dave" of our own...

"Common Purpose runs a number of leadership development courses for people at different stages in their career, as well as a range of customised courses and special events."

The above is the main ethos of Common Purpose; an independent body to government (but works alongside it) that is another tentacle of the NWO’s agenda. Via using the “control out of chaos” method Common Purpose (CP) plans to usher in the NWO’s ways of complete domination over the masses.

What is so toxic and harmful about Common Purpose is that is strives for a battle and confusion on making decisions, taking responsibility for actions. This is done through CP’s “Leading Beyond Authority” training technique in which its recruits are asked to ignore and undermine their bosses commands no matter how moral and ethical, and in turn to creating strategies of their own and influence fellow colleagues and peers. this interering is backed by Common Purpose's use of the Chatham House rule; where CP members are allowed to show anonymity for what they do and why, thus strengthening CP's "independent" status.

From the educational, health and police sectors to local and regional political representatives and members within the social services - Common Purpose has agents that have infiltrated many of isolated governmental departments known as Quangos. There are currently over 8,500 quangos that are in existence in the UK (of which over 1,100 are loosely linked to the major governmental departments). The roles they play (and thus Common Purpose’s) are so important to the infrastructure of society. As can be seen on this Guardian article, quangos are linked within all the UK government departments such as:

The Common Purpose organisation isn’t just limited to the British Isles; the the UK column notes that it has 80,000 trainees in 36 cities, 30,000 graduate members. CP is truly inter-continental – running courses in Ghana, Turkey, India and South Africa, with over 3,000 members completing their training to further mess up governments.

AYTD is all for mediation of differing viewpoints in order to come to constructive outcomes for the benefit of everyone, but Common Purpose has cleverly veiled its techniques to cause the opposite; causing departments to be in disarray and in the end, having the general public feel the brunt of the commotion with sub-standard services.

Wednesday, 13 January 2010

- 28th President of the United States of America (1913-21)- President of Princetown University (1902-10)- Financial influence and backing from the Rockerfeller and Morgan banking dynasties to introduce the Federal Reserve system to the United States; transferring the money supply of the US Dollar from the government over to a private, independent international banking cartel

Nelson Wilmarth Aldrich (1841-1915)

- United States Senator for the state of Rhode Island (1881-1911)- Financial influence and backing from the Rockerfeller and Morgan banking dynasties to create the Federal Reserve; a banking system independent of the US government and Congress that has total control over the condition of the economy within the US- Financial influence and backing from the Rockerfeller and Morgan banking dynasties to create the Federal Income tax; passed by US President William Taft in 1909

Ben ShalomBernanke (1953-present)- 14th Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States (2005-present)- Time 2009 Person Of The Year- MIT graduate; Council on Foreign Relations affiliate, Bilderberg attendee

Mervyn Allister King (1948-present)- Governor of the Bank Of England (2003-present)- Cambridge University graduate; Guest Professor at Harvard and also at MIT (alongside assisstant Professor, Ben Bernanke)- Bilderberg attendee

Chaim Azriel Weizmann (1874-1952)- First Israeli President (1949-52)- Twice President of the World Zionist Organization (1921-31; 1935-46)- Exceedingly clever chemist; developing the ABE-Process which helped to make materials such as cordite, an explosive- Helped Arthur Balfour create the Balfour Declaration - a document that propelled first the British mandate (occupation) of Palestine and then provide establishment of the state of Israel within this same region in the Middle East- With Prince Feisal I of Iraq, created the Faisal-Weizmann Agreement as part of Palestine becoming under British rule before the state of Israel

Ariel Sharon (1928-present; vegetative state since 14 January 2006)- 11th Prime Minister of Israel (2001-06)- Israeli Defense Minister (1981-83)- Involved in military service in the Battle of Latrun, 1956 Suez, 1967 Six-Day and 1973 Yom Kippur Wars respectively- Infamous nickname of "The Butcher of Beirut" after the 1982 Sabra and Shatila Massacre - in which over 3,000 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians were killed in refugee camps in Beirut by the Phalanges; Lebanese militias. These refugee camps were surrounded by Israeli military forces but somehow the Phalanges got through and carried out the attack

Thursday, 7 January 2010

The Constitution of the United States of America is arguably the most talked about of its kind in all the nations in the world. Taking great inspiration from Britain’s uncodified constitution, this succinct set of rules is a great blueprint of guidelines binding the countries’ government to preserves its peoples’ freedoms and liberties, ensuring its civil safety as an independent sovereign state. Drafted in 1789 after gaining freedom from the British through the American War of Independence (1775-1783), the US Constitution is the shortest and oldest written constitution still in use by any nation in the world today. It is made up of a preamble (its purpose – what it is for), seven articles, twenty-seven amendments and a paragraph certifying its enactment by the constitutional convention. Below are the original ten amendments; more commonly known as the Bill of Rights;

Amendment ICongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment IIA well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment IIINo Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IVThe right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment VNo person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VIIn all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Amendment VIIIn Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

A constitution (in the political sense) is a set of rules in which a government is to uphold and work for the people, both the citizens of the land and all others that are in it. The UK’s constitution hasn’t been drafted into one single document, but has instead evolved from a mixture of older English legal codes and more modern solidified Acts from other parts of Britain. Such base guidelines include:

Also within Britain’s uncodified Constitution are many traditional rituals which are viewed on the whole to be imbedded into the nation of the land (e.g. always holding the General Election on Thursdays). As BritsAtTheirBest explains; “Just as you know your family's traditions without writing them down, you understand and value your traditions of freedom, which men and women before you defended with their lives”. The site also states that “Giving any foreign body authority over the British people is unconstitutional.”The Lisbon Treaty is an example of such foreign body ruling over the European Community; British people and all. AYTD hopes to go into more detail about this at a later date.